The Road to Recovery Starts Here

Alcohol abuse and addiction has the potential to profoundly damage health, relationships and lives. It impacts people of all ages and has far reaching consequences. Despite this, addicted persons can recover with professional support. Whether you struggle with alcohol or you care for someone who does, the following materials can help you understand the disease and determine appropriate next steps. Alcohol addiction is serious, but recovery is possible.

At Caron, we can help you build a treatment program that meets your needs.

Is alcoholism a disease?

Alcoholism, like other drug addictions, is medically defined as a chronic, progressive, and potentially fatal disease. Those suffering from alcoholism experience an incessant craving for, increased tolerance of and physical dependence on alcohol. They continue to abuse alcohol despite the many negative consequences their destructive habits have on their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

Craving for alcohol that can
contribute to relapse if one attempts to abstain

If you or
someone you love could be suffering from alcohol abuse or alcoholism, Caron is here for you. Our individualized treatment and
proven approach can
help lead to a life of recovery.

Continue reading...

What causes alcohol addiction?

Alcoholism
is caused by a combination of biological, genetic, psychological,
environmental and social factors, including:

Frequency
of use

Age at
which alcohol was first consumed

Demographics
such as age, gender, and genetic background

Family
history of alcoholism (a person is much more likely to become an alcoholic if a
parent was an alcoholic)

Prenatal
exposure to alcohol

Overall
health

Continue reading...

What are the effects of alcohol addiction?

Short-term effects of alcohol use and abuse

Alcohol (also known as ethanol or ethyl alcohol) is a psychoactive drug that acts as a central nervous system depressant. Alcohol interferes with communication between nerve cells and all other cells and affects various centers in the brain. Even moderate consumption of alcohol causes immediate effects, such as lowered inhibitions, increased relaxation and dulled senses.

Muscles: Alcohol and reduces blood
flow to the muscles, causing muscle aches (most notably felt as the alcohol
leaves the system.) This effect is often called a hangover.

The
severity of the effects of alcohol is dependent on a variety of factors
including the weight, age and sex of the individual consuming the alcohol and
how much was eaten before and during consumption. Alcohol is eventually
metabolized and eliminated from the system at a rate of 13 to 18 mg per
hour.

Long-term effects of alcohol abuse.

Excessive use can lead to abuse and dependence, both of which may ultimately require treatment. Individuals
who abuse alcohol may develop physical symptoms upon abrupt discontinuation or
drastic reduction of alcohol consumption. As with
any drug addiction, physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms from alcohol will develop in anyone who has regularly been drinking heavily for an extended
period of time if and when intake is suddenly curtailed.

Seven Stages of Alcoholism

Stage 1: Abstinence

Alcohol addiction can begin before an individual starts drinking—due to genetic predispositions or attitudes and perceptions consistent with those who suffer from addiction.

Stage 2: Initial Use

This can include experimental use of alcohol, occasional use or occasional binge drinking (once or twice a year). Initial use of alcohol may not yet be a problem for the user or those close to them. Occasional alcohol consumption may cause difficulties while they are under the influence or the following day, but they have not become addicted.

Stage 3: High
Risk Use

High risk refers to an abundance of drinking and making poor decisions while under the influence. At this stage, the pattern and frequency of alcohol abuse is high enough to be dangerous to the drinker and those around them.

Stage 4:
Problematic Use

The negative consequences of drinking become apparent. Health issues, including impaired liver function or sexually transmitted diseases arise. Drinking-related legal issues occur, like driving under the influence (DUI). In this stage, family and friends become aware of the problem.

Stage 5: Early
Stage of Dependency

The early stage of alcohol addiction is characterized by noticeable lifestyle changes. The user begins to miss work. They pick fights with family and friends and choose to drink despite negative consequences. At this point, alcohol rehab is most effective.

Stage 6: Middle
Stage of Dependency

During the middle stage of alcohol addiction, negative consequences start to pile up. The user loses his or her job due to too many absences and alcohol-induced fights end relationships. The negative consequences of alcoholism become irreversible.

Stage 7: Crisis
Stage of Dependency

At this crisis point, everyone is aware of the effects of alcoholism—including the alcoholic. Serious health problems ensue. The alcoholic is rarely without a drink, but thinks no one notices. This stage frequently results in alcohol-related deaths for users who do not enter treatment.

If this list describes the behavior of you or someone you support, please don't hesitate to explore our programs or reach out to Caron with questions or concerns.

Continue reading...

Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

Alcohol detox is the process of removing all harmful toxins that alcohol brings into the body. Because detox involves the quitting or reduction of heavy or prolonged alcohol use, it causes alcohol withdrawal.

Common alcohol withdrawal symptoms, or the physical side effects of discontinued substance use, range from mild to potentially life-threatening. They include:

Mood
swings

Fatigue

Depression

Anxiety

Irritability

Shakiness

Nightmares

Difficulty
thinking clearly

Night
sweats

Insomnia

Mild
anxiety

Headaches

Dilated
pupils

Insomnia

Clammy
skin

Nausea

Vomiting

Loss of
appetite

Rapid
heart rate

Paleness

Sweating

Tremors
(especially hand tremors)

Withdrawal symptoms can be more severe in the elderly and those who have repeated withdrawals that lead to repeated intoxications. Other health issues can also impact symptom severity.

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms typically develop within several hours to a few days of quitting and usually worsen after 48 to 72 hours. Some symptoms—such as insomnia, mild anxiety and tremors—can occur while the individual still has a measurable blood alcohol level, but most occur after alcohol has left the system. Depending on the severity of the level of alcoholism, withdrawal symptoms generally last from several days to several weeks to, in rare cases, months.

While physical withdrawal symptoms may disappear
completely within a few weeks, psychological withdrawal can last for years. Many
individuals experience the desire to drink (craving alcohol) with every new
event or trigger they face.

Once DT begins, there is no known medical treatment to stop them. Grand mal seizures, heart attacks and strokes can occur during DT and are potentially fatal if not properly treated under medical supervision.

Continue reading...

Alcoholism Treatment

The first steps toward recovering from an alcoholism are recognizing the problem and seeking professional help from people who care. Alcoholism is treatable. Treatment for alcohol addiction usually includes therapy, counseling, support groups and education. Many benefit from joining a self-help group or 12-Step programs, while others seek out inpatient or outpatient treatment. With professional help, it is possible to overcome alcoholism.

The importance of medically supervised detox.

Suddenly stopping alcohol or tranquilizers can lead to severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms such as seizures, strokes or heart attacks in high-risk patients. Because of this, medically supervised detox—which involves close monitoring, pain management and the use of prescription drugs to treat complications—is highly recommended.

Continue reading...

Alcoholism Support Groups

The most common mutual support groups are 12-Step groups. These groups emphasize total abstinence and embrace 12 core steps to overcoming addiction. Additionally, 12-Step groups urge alcoholics to take esponsibility for their actions, share personal experiences with group members, help other addicts and recognize a higher power. 12-Step groups also encourage family members and friends of the alcoholic to attend their own support group meetings in order to gain a deeper understanding of their loved one’s struggles. Often, 12-Step group participants become lifetime members.

There are many alcohol support groups, and each promotes recovery in distinctive ways. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), perhaps the most widely known alcohol addiction support group, is known for helping millions of
recovering alcoholics worldwide. Many groups, such as Al-Anon, are also available to support families and loved ones of alcoholics.

The core principles of 12-Step
groups.

The most
prevalent alcohol addiction 12-Step program, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), has more than
100,000 groups worldwide and nearly 2 million members. AA does not charge dues
or ally themselves with any political, social or religious group. Members
are united by nothing but a common problem: alcohol. As with most 12-Step
programs, AA encourages recovery through sharing and support and offers
resources and meetings not only for alcoholics, but also for family members and
friends affected by addiction.

12-Step
programs for alcohol addiction are based on the 12 steps developed by the
founders of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob. These 12 steps
are a set of guiding principles intended to lead members through the recovery
process. Though they can differ slightly from group to group, most
steps involve admitting there is an addiction; recognizing the strength of a
Higher Power; examining past wrongs and making amends for these wrongs; moving
on to live a new life with a new code of behavior; and helping others who also
suffer from addiction.

AA’s 12 Steps are:

We
admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become
unmanageable.

Came to
believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

Made a
decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we
understood Him.

Made a
searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

Admitted
to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

Were
entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

Humbly
asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

Made a
list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

Made
direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would
injure them or others.

Continued
to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

Sought
through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we
understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to
carry that out.

Having
had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this
message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Al-Anon Family Groups

Al-Anon
is an excellent resource for families and friends of alcoholics. Al-Anon and
Alateen, collectively known as Al-Anon Family Groups, is an international fellowship
of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experiences, strength and
hope in order to cope with the negative impact that alcohol addiction has made on
their lives.

Al-Anon Family Groups help
families of alcoholics by practicing the Twelve Steps; welcoming and comforting
family members of the addicted person; and encouraging the alcoholic’s recovery
in a safe, understanding environment. Programs focus on spirituality but are
not tied to any particular religion. Whether
or not the addicted person continues treatment, Al-Anon can be hugely
beneficial for family members’ well-being.

Alateen

Alateen,
part of Al-Anon, is the 12-Step program of recovery for young people (generally
aged 13 to 19) affected by another's drinking. Alateen groups are sponsored by
Al-Anon members.